Diary of a food-loving Central New Yorker

October 2018

10/29/2018

Smith Market is a whole foods/natural foods store with a focus on locally sourced produce, meats and provisions It's a work in progress in Utica's Bagg's Square neighborhood and it's coming together beautifully.

The market is located in the former Smith Sprayers building and it has a chic, industrial vibe. It had its grand opening on October 27, but we were in Utica the weekend prior and stopped in to check it out, on the recommendation of David Iannicello, of Syracuse Salt Company.

Smith Market has a big space to fill and looks to be just getting started. Provisions include local produce, meats, cheeses, maple syrup, tea, coffee, soaps and cleaning supplies and more. Several Syracuse/Central New York favorites are represented, including Syracuse Salt, Syracha'Cuse hot sauces, Dutch Hill Maple and Clean Slate Farm. We even saw and learned about chaga, a wild mushroom with a surface that resembles charcoal that's harvested in the Adirondacks and used to brew anti-oxidant rich beverages.

Smith Market is owned by Luciann Maneen Gould, who has said she opened the market downtown because she wants to be part of revitalization efforts in Utica. The market has grab-and-go foods like sandwiches and salads, and a coffee and food counter with Utica Coffee Roasters coffee, sandwiches and salads made to order and soups. There's seating and community space for meetings and other events.